White-collar workers have lumbar spine problems because of these bad habits!

White-collar workers are a high-risk group for lumbar spondylosis, because they sit for long periods of time at work every day and do little exercise, which leads to a high incidence of lumbar spondylosis. We often hear many white-collar workers complain about back pain at work. In fact, this is caused by the bad habits of white-collar workers that damage the lumbar spine! Today I will introduce to you the 9 bad habits of white-collar workers that are most harmful to their lumbar spine.

The 9 bad habits that hurt the lumbar spine most among white-collar workers:

1. Sitting for a long time accelerates the aging of the lumbar spine. Modern white-collar workers sit in the office for a long time, which can easily lead to excessive waist age. Because when you sit, the pressure on your waist is 4-5 times greater than when you stand. If this posture is maintained for a long time, the central axis of the body will change, further increasing the stress on the lumbar spine. This cumulative damage can cause the intervertebral disc to age, degenerate and protrude, the intervertebral space to narrow, and the lumbar spine to shorten as a whole due to compression. In severe cases, compression of nerves can cause symptoms such as numbness, pain and discomfort in the lower limbs.

In addition, women are more likely to experience low back pain than men. Because women have physiological characteristics such as menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding, as well as pathological characteristics such as menstrual disorders, leucorrhea, pregnancy diseases, gynecological diseases, and birth control, low back pain is a common symptom. Therefore, white-collar workers should move around regularly after sitting for a period of time.

2. Carry a large fashionable bag. Many women who pursue fashion like to carry a large fashionable bag on one shoulder. If you carry a 1kg bag on one shoulder, the muscles on the other shoulder may have to bear 3 to 4kg of weight to maintain your body balance. This force will compress the lumbar spine, which will lead to lumbar spine diseases over time.

Try not to carry a large bag on one shoulder all the time, as your waist will often get cold. Even when carrying a large bag, you should switch shoulders frequently. It is best not to put too heavy things in a shoulder bag to reduce the burden on your shoulders.

3. Standing for a long time in high heels is a must-have tool for white-collar workers. Some women like to wear high heels to lengthen their bodies and highlight their perfect figure. In order to balance the height of the heels and maintain the center of gravity, the chest will arch backwards, the pelvis will tilt forward, and the lumbar spine will bulge forward. The original S-shaped curvature of the spine will change, and the weight of the upper body will be concentrated on the posterior joints of the lumbar spine, which can easily cause low back pain and even form bone spurs.

4. The waist often gets cold. The air conditioner is often turned on in the office, and sometimes the temperature is very low. But did you know that our waist is most afraid of cold? Cold or humidity can cause small blood vessels to contract and muscles to spasm, which can easily cause problems for the intervertebral discs that have already degenerated and deteriorated. Especially girls, you should protect your waist. Don’t wear small clothes no matter what the weather is. Some clothes can’t even cover your back waist, which is very bad.

Whether it is spring and summer or autumn and winter, you must keep your waist warm. Many girls like to wear windbreakers and tie a wide belt around their waists. This is a good practice as it not only protects and warms the waist, but is also very fashionable.

5. Taking a nap on the table Whether you sleep on the table during lunch break or sleep on your stomach at night, it will have an adverse effect on the health of the lumbar spine. The former will cause the lumbar spine to lean forward, the lumbar muscles to become easily fatigued and painful, and the posterior ligaments to be easily strained; the latter will make the lumbar spine more convex, the back muscles to be pulled forward, and the muscles and bone tissues will not be able to get sufficient rest during sleep.

If you have time to take a nap during your lunch break, it is recommended to sleep on the bed or on the sofa. If this is not allowed at work, you might as well prepare an air neck pillow and put it around your neck during your nap. Then find a chair with a comfortable backrest, close your eyes, sit and relax. As for sleeping at night, it is recommended to sleep on your side or in the NG13 supine position, with a pillow between your legs to allow your spine to fully relax. If you like to sleep on your stomach, it is recommended to place a small pillow under your belly to help reduce lumbar pressure and possible injuries.

6. Crossing your legs Modern office workers often stay in front of their desks for the whole day. People who work at a desk for a long time tend to shift their center of gravity to one side or cross their legs habitually. Some people like to cross their legs when sitting. This posture can easily cause the hips to tilt to one side, causing the waist and back muscle tension and bone alignment to lose balance. Unknowingly, the vertebrae and intervertebral discs on the compressed side will be under greater pressure, causing lesions or premature degeneration.

Correct way to do it: It is best not to cross your legs. If you cannot adjust to this position immediately, it is best to alternate between your left and right feet when crossing your legs to reduce the chance of the lumbar spine tilting to one side.

7. Scrolling on the phone while walking During commute, many white-collar workers often scroll on their phones while walking, and they all walk with a hunchbacked look. In fact, when the back leans forward, the body will unconsciously bulge the abdomen forward in order to maintain balance. At this time, the strength of the upper body will be pressed on the lumbar spine. Over time, it is easy to cause sore waist muscles, even disc herniation or bone spurs.

When walking, you should keep your head up, chest out, and chin tucked in. Once you develop the habit of not hunching your back, not only will your lumbar spine be protected from injury, but your chest cavity will no longer be compressed by the forward tilt of the thoracic spine. Your lung capacity and heart function may also be improved.

8. Incorrect application of force with wrists and elbows. In this information-rich age, computers have become a part of life. Many people not only use computers at work, but also stare at them after get off work to search for information online, contact friends, and even play online games.

It is worth noting that many people have incorrect computer postures, for example, there is no support for the elbows, the mouse or keyboard is placed too high, or the wrists and elbows are overused, etc. These can cause frequent soreness in the area from the elbows to the shoulder blades. In addition, if you have the habit of leaning forward when typing or looking at the screen, the curvature of the cervical spine will be damaged, leading to shoulder pain and tension headaches.

9. Bowing over the desk or slumping on the sofa. White-collar workers often have to sit at the desk. Some people will lean their entire upper body on the desk, with the lumbar spine leaning forward, making the lumbar muscles prone to fatigue and pain. Some people are used to slumping on the sofa after get off work, or sitting leisurely with their waist suspended in the air, allowing the lumbar spine and sacral spine to bear huge gravity. Some people like to sit cross-legged with their body slightly leaning forward in a hunched posture.

Little do people know that these sitting methods may cause the lumbar spine to bear several to ten times the pressure of the upper body. In the long run, it can easily cause symptoms such as lumbar vertebrae dislocation, intervertebral disc herniation, muscle pain, and lower limb edema. Sometimes, the pain in the waist muscles will even extend upward to the back. In more serious cases, it will cause sciatica, and symptoms such as foot pain, foot numbness, and intermittent claudication.

It is best to choose a chair with a backrest. When sitting, keep your spine straight and lean against the back so that your back has proper support to protect your spine. The knees of both feet should be at right angles and the height should be about the same as or slightly higher than the hip joints. If the chair is too high and your knees are too low, you should adjust the height or put a foot pad so that your feet can be naturally flat on the ground.

Which types of exercise are better for the cervical and lumbar spine?

Doing cervical exercises under the guidance of an expert is the best way to prevent and treat cervical spondylosis; among all fitness exercises, swimming is the best for protecting the cervical and lumbar vertebrae; other forms of exercise, such as mountain climbing, table tennis, badminton, tennis, volleyball, basketball, etc., are prone to cause cervical and lumbar injuries, so pay attention to the intensity of exercise.